Missives of a Baseball Milquetoast

It has been over six years since I've featured a Portland Rockies cap here so I think not only has enough time passed, but because today is National Red Rose Day, I just have to feature a Portland Rockies hat to show love to the Rose City for this week's Fresh Fitted Friday post. The embroidery here feels a bit rougher than what I see on my fitted variant of this cap but I am actually fine with it as a snapback is allowed to be a little rugged if it feels the need to be! The sweatband tags here do not feature a New Era flag like the caps from 1997 trough 2000 so I am confident in asserting this one is from either the Portland Rockies inaugural season in 1995 or the following year in 1996. The MILB batterman was present in 1995 which also brings me comfort in my estimation of this cap's age. I have been thinking a lot about Portland because it continues to be a contender for a MLB expansion team. I haven't broached the topic since my Nashville Sounds post this past Augu...

I had a memorable family excursion to Atlanta last weekend, and the Kinship Road-trip tour continues this weekend in Richmond, Virginia. In case you're wondering, I still have not been to a Yankees game this season, which might be a record for me. All is well though, as last night was my first time at CarMax Park, which is the new home of the Richmond Flying Squirrels. I loved every step I took in that ballpark, and I am looking forward to returning if the Squirrels are in town on my next visit. I figured “ no cap” would be more fitting to wear to a new ballpark than one of the fantastic fauxback hats issued by the team. Apologies for mentioning the Yankees again this week; however, I am a New Yorker, and  Richmond was once their Triple-A home ! The team's mascot, Nutzy, is in the midst of a majestic and hurried sprint here, and the only thing that would make me love this cap even more is if the crown were black and the visor were red, but even still, this cap is incredible. I...

There is no national holiday or major event happening this weekend for me to reference for this week's theme, but luckily I only have to look at the boarding pass in my phone's Delta app for my upcoming flight to Atlanta tomorrow morning to get me hyped up to eat some incredible BBQ and peaches that are now in season. Sadly, the Atlanta Braves are on the road, and so are their Triple-A affiliate in Gwinnett, but that's not stopping me from posting a peach-hued variant of the Stripers home cap for this week's Fresh Fitted Friday post! This is the third Stripers hat I've written about and while I like the ball-on-hook here, I have to strain to see the ball so I think I might prefer the alternate logo I wrote about in 2021 . I love the pop on the undervisor here more than that alternate cap, though. It's just so peachy! The light and breezy look is completed with the peach-laden MILB batterman and New Era embroidery on the side. The timing of this trip to the Peac...

Just a week ago, I wouldn't consider walking out the door without a hoodie to keep me warm, but then the following Sunday, temperatures reached the mid-80s and rose up to the low 90s, which stayed steady through this past Wednesday. I should mention, the purpose of this weather recap is really only to provide an excuse as to why I haven't been to a Yankees game yet this season! Considering the past few posts went from Yankees to Mets, you would think the Subway Series theme would be wrapped up, but today is National Maritime Day, and the most nautical cap I own just happens to be one worn by the Columbus Clippers, who were the Triple-A affiliates for the Yankees from 1979 through 2006. The last time I wrote about this cap logo was almost exactly 11 years ago although this week's hat is the one the Clippers wore in 2001 to commemorate their 25th season in Columbus.  If the Clippers celebrated their 25th anniversary in 2001, this year would be their 50th season; however, as ...

Last week's Fresh Fitted Friday highlighted the New York Yankees and today's post shifts the focus to the New York Mets as the two teams are set to face off for the first time in 2026, with tonight's meeting being the first of a three-game series in Queens. The Mets season has gotten off to a rocky start, but cheerier times loom as they are fresh off their first sweep of the year, with that triumph over the equally struggling Detroit Tigers bringing their record to 18-25. I would not expect the Mets to sweep the Yankees, but even a series win would do a lot to boost morale for a team looking for bright spots, so maybe Mr. Met can help! I might be a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan, but as far as mascots go, I rate Mr. Met right alongside Lou Seal without must hesitation.  The 25th Anniversary embroidery is a bit messy here, so I opted to show it alongside the main cap logo. Pairing a white sweatband with a warm-weather cap material like rip stop is a bold choice, but on th...

My MLB game count for 2026 thus far includes three Mets games at CitiField and zero visits to Yankee Stadium, which might be the longest I have gone into a season without seeing a game in the Bronx. To be fair, I had very little desire to see the Yankees play the Marlins or Athletics for their first homestand, and I was in Paris during the second one when the Angels and Royals were in town. Tickets can get pricey for weekend series against popular teams, especially when the Yankees are playing well, which has been the case through this point. So, their recent series against the Orioles was not an option because of a combination of those factors as well as me simply being too tired to make it happen. There is not much of a point of listing out all these excuses other than reinforcing my desire to catch a Yankees game during their homestand later this month. My options will be either the Blue Jays or the Rays. To commemorate this big decision, this week's Fresh Fitted Friday selecti...